# A few days in Amsterdam **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231 "2015-07-26T14:38:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/1 "2015-07-26T14:38:13Z")
Aside from the obvious, what should I see? I have the Rijksmuseum and Van Goch museum on my list, of course, but also the resistance museum. I’m not interested in seeing the red light district. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/2 "2015-07-26T14:43:55Z")
The Anne Frank house is interesting. The museums are great. Other than that, we were happy to drink, smoke hash, and walk around town. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/3 "2015-07-27T11:02:06Z")
I enjoyed seeing: Anne Frank House Royal Palace Tuschinski Cinema Vondelpark Krijtberg Church Dam Square Rembrandt House Jewish Historical Museum De Rieker Windmill ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/4 "2015-07-27T13:35:55Z")
I enjoyed the Maritime museum when I was there. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/5 "2015-07-27T14:03:50Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’m not interested in seeing the red light district. I’d say that taking a walk down the Oudezijds Voorburgwal in the daytime is kind of interesting, without being particularly awful. You’ll see more raunchy stuff in gift shops than on a walk down that particular canal, but you’ll get an idea about the red light district (De Wallen) that you otherwise wouldn’t have. Other than the stuff that’s already here, you could take a day trip for one day- Rotterdam, Delft, Utrecht, and Den Haag are all extremely close, and have other interesting things to see. (the Porcelaine Flys in Delft was cool; where else can you take a dump in a Delft Blue toilet bowl? 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/6 "2015-07-27T18:13:34Z")
Take a bike tour. They all seem to go to the same places (primarily along the Amstel River, Beatrix Park, VondelPark) and then rent the bike for another half day afterward (or another day). Amsterdam is very quick to get away from if you go southeast or Northeast and the biking on their trail system is simple and amazingly pleasant. You can also always see Centrum Amsterdam so it is literally impossible to get lost- just wander the lanes and the canals and small towns. Just take a quick look at what trail numbers you are “aiming” for and you will quickly understand how the system works. The red light district is not a big deal, you will probably end up walking through it on accident. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/7 "2015-07-27T19:04:42Z")
Done properly, the Rijksmuseum will consume most of a day. My advice is to not try to cram too much into your visit. Enjoy a few things thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/8 "2015-07-27T19:57:34Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Done properly, the Rijksmuseum will consume most of a day. It did. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/9 "2015-07-27T21:08:32Z")
Find a restaurant that serves a good [rijsttafel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijsttafel). The Aalsmeer flower auction is not far away, and is very impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/10 "2015-07-28T03:18:53Z")
Try an excursion to De Zaanse Schans. It’s very close to Amaterdam. Lots of windmills, for starters. [http://www.dezaanseschans.nl/en/](http://www.dezaanseschans.nl/en/) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-few-days-in-amsterdam/726231/11 "2015-07-28T20:17:23Z")
I visited those on Sunday. I went inside the cheese one and the sawmill one.